The iPhone ... Was It Worth The Wait?

Larry Magid Gives His First Impressions Of Apple's Much-Hyped iPhone

(CBS)  The bad part about web browsing is the sometimes agonizingly slow AT&T Edge network that the phone forces you to use unless you happen to have wireless WiFi access. AT&T has two cell phone data networks: The slow Edge network and a much faster 3G network. When I tested the phone out in front of the Apple store, it sometimes took minutes for pages to load. At one point I had a web page loading race with a friend of who was using a Blackberry on AT&T's 3G network. A page that took him 20 seconds to load took more than a minute on the iPhone.

To be fair, that hasn't been my experience 100% of the time. There were a few times during my few hours of testing where I have been able to get reasonable web performance. The problem could be network congestion. I'll need to spend more time with the iPhone before reaching any final conclusions but my initial impressions of browsing on the cellular network are less than positive. Fortunately, the phone also works with WiFi networks and now that I'm at home wirelessly connected to my fast cable modem, pages are loading at truly broadband speed.

I give the phone high marks when it comes to email. Although you can use it with virtually any POP3 or IMAP email account (which means it should work with most corporate email systems that don't have iron-clad firewall requirements), the iPhone works out of the box with Yahoo Mail, Gmail, AOL and Apple's own .mac mail service. With each of these services you simply enter your user name and password once and let the iPhone's software handle the rest. It took me under 2 minutes to start getting and responding to my Gmail.

Getting around the phone is easy. While there are very few physical keys on the phone, I quickly found the Home button which takes you back to the home screen where you can access any of the phone's features.

Activating the iPhone was easier than expected. First, you have to download the latest version of iTunes (7.3) and then you simply plug the iPhone into the USB port of your PC or Mac. I activated and synced it with a Windows Vista laptop. You have to select a service plan and give it some basic account information including your social security number but the process took me about 10 minutes, plus another two minutes of waiting for the AT&T server to validate my account. Once it was done, it presented me with my new phone number and the phone just worked. Frankly, it was faster than waiting for a sales clerk at a cellular store. Having said that, I've already seen some blog postings from people who have not been able to activate their phones, so what went smoothly for me was apparently troublesome for others.

Steve Jobs has called the iPhone the best iPod ever and there is no reason to doubt that. Like all iPods, you can sync music, video and photos from your PC or Mac and display album art. I put a few albums on the phone but haven't had time to fully explore the iPod features.

I was able to sync the iPod with Microsoft Outlook, which is great – I now have contact information for more than 1,500 people stored on the phone with easy access to email addresses directly from the mail program. You can also sync the iPhone Outlook Express on Windows and Address Book and Entourage on a Mac.

It's too early in the review process to give this phone a definitive thumbs up or down but I think it's fair to say that for those who have plenty of extra cash and the desire to live on the bleeding edge of technology, owning an iPhone will truly be an interesting experience. For everyone else – my preliminary thought is that it's probably best to wait awhile.

Even though there were plenty of people lined up to pay $499 or $599 to be among the first to own an iPhone, it remains a very expensive gadget that you've managed to live without so far. It's very cool, it's fun and it's oh so very chic. But as innovative as it is, my practical nature tells me that it's not worth skimping on groceries or dipping into your kids' college fund.

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A syndicated technology columnist for over two decades, Larry Magid serves as on air Technology Analyst for CBS Radio News. His technology reports can be heard several times a week on the CBS Radio Network. Magid is the author of several books including "The Little PC Book."

[trskrap]

Just because 95% of new 'toys' are more of the same, doesn't mean that the iPhone is more of the same.

Just as the first graphical user interface with a mouse was ridiculed and dismissed by the masses (1984's Macintosh - don't mention the 1983 Lisa), didn't mean that it wasn't revolutionary.

Ditto with the first iPod in 2001.

Ditto with the first iPhone in 2007.

Face it boys, the rules have changed for mobile phones, for MP3 players, for desktop computers, for laptop computers. Touch Screen interfaces will be everywhere in 5 years.

[sevenveils]

***Hey***, ***It***'***s*** ***an*** ***Apple*** ***Newton*** ***with*** ***a*** ***phone***!

[bequialife]

We can't even get people to vote and you get time off with pay for that. But people spend the night to buy a gadget? Or buy concert tickets? I personally don't get it.

[jacqueline41-2009]

By the way these people act you would have thought God came down from Heaven to say "Hi". My goodness it's just a high priced phone people. Grow up!!!

[hermit22]

anyone have a couple of tin cans and a string to toss my direction to go along with Methuselah my 26 year old bucket of bolts a good 16 year old kid resurected from the car graveyard for $400?

had to pay $75 later for some muffler stuff....
but Methuselah is aiming for 969 years old like who he's named after.

[hypnotoad72]

boolves - very true.

dukeudevil - how dare you insult the overlords of Apple! They can do no wrong. Only we do wrong for criticizing their hyped products.

My media player is an applet on my PDA. I did not need a $400 iPod. (sheesh)

My cell phone does what it needs to do. I need no iPhone.

If I bothered to get a Smartphone (PDA+Cell phone), it'd be little different from the iPhone. Except all-in-one products are usually all-or-nothing. More disposable garbage, just like how people are.

[hypnotoad72]

boolves - very true.

dukeudevil - how dare you insult the overlords of Apple! They can do no wrong. Only we do wrong for criticizing their hyped products.

My media player is an applet on my PDA. I did not need a $400 iPod. (sheesh)

My cell phone does what it needs to do. I need no iPhone.

If I bothered to get a Smartphone (PDA+Cell phone), it'd be little different from the iPhone. Except all-in-one products are usually all-or-nothing. More disposable garbage, just like how people are.

[hypnotoad72]

Oh, what the heck:

http://www.badapple.biz

[hypnotoad72]

barbaraf4 - thanks for the well-reasoned response.

Even a gadget man as myself prefers to standardize on a solid item for years; and not ditch one product for the next every time it comes out. (Especially if customer support is a field one works in.) That tends to get expensive and that trend isn't reversing either.

The iPhone is mere iHype. Combine that with Apple's history of iWaste (google it, there's a website out there that rightly tells of Apple's wrongs) and the people saying all iPhone detractors can't afford one or are just envious are full of sawdust and incapable of much thought apart from basic stereotypes.

[formrusmcsgt]

When you start a company, work 20 hours a day, build up something, then have some morons like you cry about capitalism--- then you will understand what a bunch of stupid f*cks you sounds like. Now I have to get back to building my "capitalist" company (yes working weekends- try it some time you d*cks). So go F*ck yourselves - off line and without any of those toys you so enjoy sticking up your azz (they were built by capitalist companies too). ROFLMFAO
Posted by UnderMyBoot at 08:48 PM : Jun 30, 2007

I'm sure your means of expressing yourself in such a thoughtful manner serves you well in your business, eh?

20 hour days, eh? You probably work 8 and spend the other 12 apologizing for your "charisma".....

[formrusmcsgt]

What more glaring example of unbridled materialism could we observe than to see idiots, who've gone their whole life without an I-Phone, camping out as if one more second of existence without this toy would be fatal......

[barbaraf4]

"All the whining appears to come from those who don't have (or can't afford) an iPhone.
The other idiot who rages against capitalism doesn't have anything either. That usually results from not working and just whining.
Get a life.
Get a job.
Get an iPhone."
Posted by desertrat200 at 07:50 PM : Jun 30, 2007

Actually, my husband and I are enjoying a well-deserved, well-financed, debt-free retirement. One reason it is well-financed is that we didn't feel the need to buy the most recent gadgets, no matter how pretty they were. We didn't deprive ourselves, we were just selective. iPhone is, afterall, a phone. You probably own about a million other gadgets that do all the rest. It is not necessary to carry your life with you in your pocket nor to validate your credit line by buying every new toy. You say "get a life". There is life beyond electronic gadgets.

[barbaraf4]

"Seeing that you work 20 hours a day then perhaps you should examine to whom you are slaving and why capitalism is your God. You seem to forget that many of us have grand children with Ph.D.'s and are not rednecks who are trying to get an enlarged *** or a longer motor home or a bigger boat or whatever. We might see the world as humanity, where we live with others. With people who starve when there is plenty of food. With people who die when there is plenty of medicine. Instead we see our democracy gone. The democracy of Jefferson where people cared for each other is history and we have no right to celebrate it. So get yourself a hummer cause you're a bummer! You have no idea what it's like to be macheted by starving people and living in Darfur and have aids and be urbanized and become a slave at age four. Perhaps your children in their next life, or you yourself should experience this, or better yet - be reincarnated as a barking dog!"
Posted by bbbbbfan at 10:13 PM : Jun 30, 2007

~~

Excellent! Well said!

[dukeudevil]

I have to agree with many here in saying all the hoopla over just a freaking phone exposes America's now very flawed sense of values all too well.

It's just a phone, America. BFD.

[boulves]

The carving for an iPhone just shows us that the basic values of society have changed drastically. People are becoming children (standing in line 2 days for a gadget that is at best flawed) and children becoming orohans because nobody has time to educate them. THE WORLD IS DOOMED

[nskduke]

It might take a year for the price to go down but I can wait.

[smurphydej]

CD, DVD, TREO, DVR, TIVO, Laptop, Flatscreen, Plasma, Ditial Camera, Camcorder, Desktop Computer, Pearl, Xbox, PS 1,2 & 3 and I can go on. I am sure everyone that left a message has one or more of these items. I found myself on line for the Xbox for my son and it was fun. I will wait for the price to go down before I get this phone, doesnt matter what it is there is always hype about the item. Yes you have freedom of speach however before you get on your soap box look around your house at electric items. Just Enjoy

[candojj1]

Seeing that you work 20 hours a day then perhaps you should examine to whom you are slaving and why capitalism is your God. You seem to forget that many of us have grand children with Ph.D.'s and are not rednecks who are trying to get an enlarged *** or a longer motor home or a bigger boat or whatever. We might see the world as humanity, where we live with others. With people who starve when there is plenty of food. With people who die when there is plenty of medicine. Instead we see our democracy gone. The democracy of Jefferson where people cared for each other is history and we have no right to celebrate it. So get yourself a hummer cause you're a bummer! You have no idea what it's like to be macheted by starving people and living in Darfur and have aids and be urbanized and become a slave at age four. Perhaps your children in their next life, or you yourself should experience this, or better yet - be reincarnated as a barking dog!

[fascistusa]

Get Brainwashed.
Get a Slave Job.
Buy *** you don't need.

Try to feel Happy about all the Useless Junk you just bought.


CRAPITALISM:

Capitalists control the public%u2019s behavior telling them to %u201Cwear these clothes, eat this food, have these ideas.%u201D They prescribe a rigid schedule where people willingly are overworked with little sick time and little vacation time. They self-servingly call this %u201Cthe work ethic%u201D.

[desertrat200]

All the whining appears to come from those who don't have (or can't afford) an iPhone.
The other idiot who rages against capitalism doesn't have anything either. That usually results from not working and just whining.
Get a life.
Get a job.
Get an iPhone.